Ho Hum: Bucs 'Machine' Rolls Along Go-For-Two Actually Comes True Jim Selman, The Tampa Tribune, published 19 December 1977 In a turnaround unimaginable three weeks ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday left Tampa Stadium heroically, with their victory-crazed fans stampeding the goal posts. From the pits of a 17-0 loss to Atlanta on Nov. 27, the Bucs defeated the six-point favourite St. Louis Cardinals 17-7 to conclude their second National Football League season on the extremely high plane of a two-game winning streak. Their 2-12 record seemed out of the question until their 26-game losing streak ended at New Orleans the previous Sunday. It was a Super Bowl and Pro Bowl rolled into one for a team that not only had been unable to win at home, but until Sunday had not scored a touchdown in Tampa Stadium this season. The victim was a troubled team, but the No. 1 passing team in the NFC. For St. Louis, the loss was its fourth straight to finish 7-7, but the Cards had been in the playoff picture until a week ago. It was accomplished in so many ways, but principally these: Four Gary Huff passes totalling 138 yards to wide receiver Morris Owens, including one for 61 yards and a touchdown and another for 62 that got the Bucs out of a terrible hole at the 1-yard line. A nearly flawless offensive game plan executed with only one turnover, a first-quarter interception. Forty-five yards gained, including a 1-yard touchdown carry by Louis Carter in his first 1977 start in place of the injured and deactivated Ricky Bell. Forty-five yards gained, so often at the most crucial times, by the vastly improved Jimmy DuBose at fullback. Protection of Huff by the offensive line. Not one sack. A 23-yard field goal by Dave Green and a 43.6-yard average on five punts, including a 63-yard kick that looked bad, but bounced over returner Bill Bradley's head and rolled to the 9. One penalty against Tampa Bay, for five yards. A tenacious defense some have begun to nickname "The Bay City Rollers," that turned in interceptions of Jim Hart passes by strong safety Mark Cotney in the first quarter to touch off a 63-yard Buccaneer touchdown drive, and by cornerback Mike Washington in the fourth quarter; a fumble recovery by rookie linebacker David Lewis at the Tampa Bay 18 in the fourth quarter; a tackle by nose guard Dave Pear to stop Jim Otis on a fourth-and-one play at the Tampa Bay 13 in the second quarter; and, finally, a vicious tackle of Jerry Latin by rookie linebacker Cecil Johnson, resulting in a touchdown-saving fumble out of the end zone for a touchback with only 1:17 to play. Two plays prior to that fumble, Hart passed 9 yards to Ike Harris in the end zone, but it was nullified by a motion penalty. The Cardinals lost their super runner, Terry Metcalf, with a sprained knee in the first quarter. Wayne Morris became the workhorse runner and he had a game-leading 64 yards. Surely, the Cardinals hurt without Metcalf, although Richard "Batman" Wood said he wouldn't have been the difference because it's too tough to run on Tampa Bay. Metcalf did return the opening kickoff 35 yards to move him pass the 2,000-yard mark for all-purpose running for the third consecutive season, an NFL first. The Bucs climbed to a 7-0 first-quarter lead on Carter's touchdown, built it to 14-0 on the Huff-Owens bomb in the second quarter and led 14-7 at the half following a 3-yard touchdown run by Morris with only 51 seconds left. Green's field goal wrapped up the scoring in the third quarter. How the Bucs got there for the kick was even more noteworthy than the kick itself. Ex-Buc Ken Stone had downed a 32-yard punt at the 1-yard line. Huff, in the end zone, had great protection and his 62-yard pass to Owens moved the ball to the St. Louis 37. Four plays later, it was fourth-and-one and Huff passed to DuBose for 16. The kick followed in four plays. Cardinal coach Don Coryell, whose job may be in jeopardy, praised the Bucs. "I would just like to congratulate Coach John McKay, his staff and, of course, the team for a great game," he said. "They took advantage of our mistakes and played inspired football and deserved to win. For us, things just didn't go right. We had crucial penalties and fumbles, but that's no excuse for losing. That's no excuse. I give Tampa Bay credit for a job well done. I think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on their way to being a fine football team. The Bucs' defense is excellent." The victory, said John McKay, "gives us confidence going into next season. I'm disappointed we haven't won more games, but I think I'm intelligent enough to know the reasons." Wood said the win was sweeter than the one at New Orleans because of the home crowd. "I knew it. I knew it. I knew we were going to win," Wood said. "We had good practices all week. What more can you ask? We had two great passes by Gary and the defense, too." Metcalf, he said, wouldn't have made the difference "because I think we can stop any running game. The 14-0 lead forced the Cardinals to throw, said end Lee Roy Selmon. "He's (Hart) a great passer and they have a great line, but I think we forced him to rush some of his passes," Selmon said. "It definitely feels better winning this one because the second one puts us over the hump." "For once," said linebacker Dewey Selmon, "we put it all together. I can go home now perfectly relaxed. They had five so-called All-Pros and we held them to seven points. I guess that proves that we're All-Pro, too."